YANCHENG, June 24, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers carry an injured villager in Danping Village of Chenliang Township in Funing, Yancheng, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 24, 2016. A total of 98 people were killed after severe storms in several towns in Jiangsu on Thursday, local rescue headquarters said on Friday. About 846 people sustained injuries, 200 of whom were seriously wounded, it said. More than 8,600 houses, two elementary schools and eight factory buildings were damaged in the counties of Funing and Sheyang, and parts of Yancheng City along the eastern coast of China. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing)
YANCHENG, Jiangsu, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Wang Bing rummages for his cell phone and bank deposit book in the rubble that was his home until 36 hours ago.
"I was charging my phone near the fridge," said Wang, 62. "And that deposit book carries the whole family's savings."
But no traces of them are found in the ruins, where only pieces of broken furniture are recognizable in a pile of red bricks and gray tiles: a bedpost, a table, a chair and a sewing machine.
Wang's daughter retrieved a small parcel in the rubble Friday afternoon, but nothing valuable was inside.
The daughter complained her family suffered at least 20,000 yuan (3,024 U.S. dollars) in economic losses in the deadliest tornado and hailstorm to hit their hometown in Yancheng City, east China's Jiangsu Province, in five decades.
But Wang felt lucky enough to be alive.
When the disaster struck at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Wang was having a nap with his wife and grandson in their four-bedroom house in Chenliang Township of Funing County, one of the worst-hit areas.
"It suddenly became pitch dark and hails rained down on the roof like pebbles," he said.
Before they could flee the house, tiles had begun falling down from the roof. "We found shelter in a corner of our bedroom, between the wall and a wardrobe."
Wang's wife carried their grandson in her arms, and Wang stood hunchbacked to protect the woman and child from the falling tiles and bricks. Blood streamed down his head and he was prepared for the worst.
"But the worst was over after about 20 minutes," he said.
When the storm trailed off, he looked around and realized the whole house had toppled, except for the ramshackle wall behind them. "God must know that here were three lives to spare."
The disaster left its mark on Wang's broken head and back, as well as his grandson's mind. "Our house is falling down," the four-year-old still cries in his sleep Friday night.
Their next-door neighbors, a 25-year-old woman and her toddler, died in the ruins of their toppled home. The woman was pregnant with her second child.
DEADLY WEATHER
A total of 98 people were killed in the severe storms that battered several towns in Yancheng Thursday. About 846 people suffered injuries, 200 of them were seriously wounded.
More than 8,600 houses, two elementary schools and eight factory buildings were damaged as gales of over 100 km per hour battered several outer townships of Funing and Sheyang counties.
Yan Lifa, 62, was on his way to collect tap water fees in Xuliang town, riding a motorbike.
"Strong gales sent me off the bike," he told Xinhua. "Fortunately, I had my helmet on."
Yan was thrown on the road and his bike plunged into a roadside ditch. "I never had such terrible experience in my life. The gales were like monsters ready to eat me alive."
Too scared to move, Yan lay still on his stomach until the winds wore off. When he walked home, he found the second floor of the house was gone. "Luckily, no one was inside: my wife was working in the cropland and our grandchildren were all at school."
The family were resettled in an inn with many other homeless people in town.
Hundreds of the townspeople were landed in hospital with injuries.
Xie Sufang, 67, suffered fractures in her backbone after she was pulled out of the rubble of her house. Her husband, who was badly injured on the head, had died when rescuers found him.
"I have no family or home here," sobbed Xie at Funing County Hospital. "I might move to my son's place in Shanghai."
Jiqiao Village Nursery in Chenliang Township is a mess of broken desks and chairs after Thursday's holocaust. Traces of blood are seen here and there.
When the hailstorm swept the school building, the teachers told the children to crouch under their desks. The headmistress, 63-year-old Guo Haimei, leaned against the door to prevent it from being blown off.
Of the 120 children who were at school, seven suffered injuries, mostly from broken window panes, she said. "We did our best."
ALL-OUT RESCUE
At least 450 people have been hospitalized at Funing County Hospital with injuries, said Zuo Xuebiao, the hospital's vice president.
Most of the patients suffered fractures or wounds on the head, and medical workers were working around the clock to ensure timely treatment, he said.
Many citizens have lent a helping hand, offering free chauffeur services, donating blood, or delivering food and water.
Jing Rongrong, a nurse from the neighboring Sihong County unaffected by the storm, joined a team of volunteers Friday morning and provided first-aid for at least 30 injured residents of Xintu village in Funing.
Anxious to find her mother in a worst-hit town in Funing, Qi Longying posted a message at her Wechat account Thursday night. In about 10 minutes, a friend reached her with news about her mother, who had been sent to hospital with injuries.
"A police officer who sent her to hospital shared a photo of my mom, and my friend happened to spot that photo," said Qi. "At times like this, we feel like members of a big family."
